Run by Photographers, for Photographers

Archive for June, 2011

The London Photographers’ Branch sends a message of solidarity and best wishes to injured NUJ member Niall Carson, who was shot in the leg while covering sectarian clashes in East Belfast on Tuesday 21 June.

The NUJ website reported NUJ Irish secretary Séamus Dooley said: “Niall Carson was injured while doing his job. It is vital that journalists should be allowed to carry out their duties without fear of attack from any quarter. This incident is part of a sinister assault on the people of Northern Ireland. The riots of the past two days represent a wider attack on the community, who have a right to live in peace. Our thoughts are with all those who have suffered as a result of the riots over the past 48 hours”.

NUJ general secretary-elect Michelle Stanistreet said: “This shooting is a sharp reminder of the dangers faced by media workers in conflict situations. Journalists and their employers must be mindful of the safety implications of covering conflict situations, while there is also a responsibility on the police to ensure that the media are allowed to carry out their duties in the public interest”.

Over 100 people attended the party to launch the PHNAT pamphlet, many of whom were press photographers directly affected by the misuse of section 44. A slideshow of images of police and private security guard showing harassment and detention of working photographers provided the visual background to the event. The images were bookended by Jason Parkinson’s films ‘Hostile Reconnaissance’ and ‘Collateral Damage’.

The Hargreaves Review on Intellectual Property has now reported. But its key recommendation, the worst orphan works scheme yet, was immediately followed by a European draft directive proposing legislation for a radically different approach.

Increasingly we are prevented from photographing children. As professional photographers we face restrictions but also in everyday life taking family photos. This panel debate aims to explore the rights and wrongs of child photography. Has society become too paranoid? What is the law? What are the moral and ethical implications of working with children?

Neil Turner is a photographer who has worked with children for many years on the TES. Laurence Watts is chief picture editor for the charity ActionAid, which has ‘Sponsor a Child’ as a central fundraising campaign. Mike Schwarz is a partner at Bindmans Solicitors.

Over 100 people attended the party to launch the PHNAT pamphlet, many of whom were press photographers directly affected by the misuse of section 44. A slideshow of images of police and private security guard showing harassment and detention of working photographers provided the visual background to the event. The images were bookended by Jason Parkinson’s films ‘Hostile Reconnaissance’ and ‘Collateral Damage’.

The AOP provided use of the gallery and Ing Media supplied the drinks. Larry Herman talked about the importance of the CPBF and why they supported the pamphlet. Marc Vallee gave a brief history of PHNAT and why it came into existence, starting with the lone campaign of Jeremy Dear outside Scotland Yard and culminating in the massive turnout of over 2,00 people in Trafalgar Square in early 2010, and the subsequent removal of section 44. His message of celebration was tempered by the as yet unknown usage of section 47a against photographers.

The Hargreaves Review on Intellectual Property has now reported. But its key recommendation, the worst orphan works scheme yet, was immediately followed by a European draft directive proposing legislation for a radically different approach.

Here we go again – extended collective licensing and the commercial exploitation of orphan works. Hargreaves plans, in other words, to reintroduce the Clause 43 of the Digital Economy Bill successfully defeated by photographers last year, led by Stop 43. While Europe proposes the cultural, not commercial, use of orphans instead. Which would be readily accepted by most of Clause 43’s opponents.

The NUJ’s new General Secretary, Michelle Stanistreet, answered questions from photographers at last night’s branch meeting.

After showing a film from a recent PHNAT flashmob, topics of discussion included Michelle’s union past, amalgamation proposals, union materials, rates and exploitation and systems & communication within the union (and pies). Hear the audio below. Michelle assumes the role of General Secretary on the 1st of July and takes over from Jeremy Dear.

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Branch members who wish to access the members' area of the website, which includes the minutes of all branch and committee meetings, should email info@
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Working LIves

The branch is producing a series of video interviews to illustrate the range of work undertaken by its members. The first two are with local newspaper photographer Anne-Marie Sanderson, and freelancer John Sturrock.